In the automated manufacture and packaging of semiconductor chips, chips are made in batches instead of individually. Leadframes are typically made form strips or ribbons of flat sheets of conductive material, which is divided into a predetermined selected number of individual leadframes, each of the leadframes defining a plurality of leads sixteen (16), for example, which are bonded to pads on the semiconductor chip.
To handle these strips of leadframes during automated manufacture, it is useful to have a fixture which effectively holds individual strips of the leadframe together with the chips for bonding. One such fixture is called a leadframe carrier. These leadframe carriers can be systematically moved from station to station during manufacture on a belt or pressurized air, for example.
At present, the leadframe carrier is typically a custom device used for one particular kind of leadframe, which in turn corresponds in many cases to only a single kind or type or group of types of semiconductor chips. Accordingly, it is considered desirable to develop a leadframe carrier fixture which is conveniently adaptable to accommodate any of many different kinds of chips and leadframes.